In 1929 Dorothy Sayers published her anthology The Omnibus of Crime, and in the spirit of that classic title, former Mystery Writers of America president Tony Hillerman and veteran crime anthologist Rosemary Herbert assembled this 2005 survey of the genre since then. Rather than a taking decade-by-decade approach however, they spotlight the most exciting styles and voices in each category. Among the 26 pieces here are Patricia Highsmith's "Woodrow Wilson's Necktie," Sue Grafton's "A Poison That Leaves No Trace," and Alexander McCall Smith's "He Loved to Go for Drives with His Father," as well as contributions from Dashiell Hammett, Ruth Rendell, P.D. James, Elmore Leonard, and John Mortimer.

"Not a clunker in the bunch.... There have been numerous collections since [The Omnibus of Crime], but until now, none has had the depth, intelligence and chutzpah to call itself A New Omnibus of Crime."—Bloomberg News